Another cool photo from Andy. Look closely! Can you see it?
It’s an Anhinga seen at The Dunes nestling in the sheltered water habitat they prefer.
You can often spot an anhinga perched on a branch with wings outstretched, drying its feathers. The fact that their feathers are less water resistant than other birds helps them to swim underwater.
Although not particularly fast swimmers, they are effective aquatic hunters, relying on their quick necks and sharp bills to catch prey. They target slower-moving species of fish and stalk them underwater, finally striking out with their long neck and spearing the prey with the beak. They then bring the prey above water and manipulate it in order to swallow the fish head first.
Did you know? Male anhingas have much brighter colors than their female counterparts. Males have black crests and greenish-black plumage overall, accentuated by silver-gray feathers on the upper back and wings that are edged with long white plumes. By contrast, females are brown with a light brown head and neck and are much less vivid.
